Laterally expandable tampon

ABSTRACT

A tampon is disclosed which is useful in preventing premature leakage of body fluid from a woman&#39;s vagina, especially during her menstrual period. The tampon includes an absorbent and a liquid-permeable cover. The cover at least partially surrounds the absorbent, and together they form an elongated softwind having a first end and a second end. The softwind is folded upon itself at a minimum of two spaced apart locations to form an M-shaped profile. The M-shaped profile is then compressed into a cylindrically shaped pledget having an insertion end and a trailing end. The insertion end contains a greater amount of absorbent than the trailing end and has a cleft formed therein as a result of the folding. The cleft causes the pledget to laterally expand immediately upon insertion of the tampon into a woman&#39;s vagina. The tampon further includes a withdrawal string which facilitates removal of the tampon from a woman&#39;s vagina. In one aspect, the first end of the softwind held and secured adjacent to the second end by the withdrawal string forms the trailing end of the tampon and restricts expansion of the tampon at its trailing end.

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of prior, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/695,494 filed Aug. 12, 1996, now abandoned andprior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/700,599, filed Aug. 12, 1996,now U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,934.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a tampon capable of expanding laterally whilein use to reduce leakage of body fluid. More specifically, thisinvention relates to a catamenial tampon having a generally M-shapedprofile capable of expanding laterally while in use to reducesignificantly the leakage of body fluid from a woman's vagina.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, two basic types of catamenial tampons are used for femininehygiene. The first type is a digital tampon designed to be inserted intoa woman's vagina directly by the user's fingers. The second type is atampon designed to be inserted with the aid of an applicator. Both typesusually are made by folding or rolling a loosely associated strip ofabsorbent material into an elongated shape referred to as a "softwind".The softwind may or may not include a cover. The softwind then iscompressed radially and/or biaxially into a pledget. In both types oftampons, a withdrawal string is attached to the absorbent, either beforeor after compression, to facilitate removal of the tampon from theuser's vagina after it has absorbed a certain quantity of body fluid,such as menses, blood, and other body fluids.

INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION

It has been found that many tampons, both digital as well as thosedelivered by an applicator, are unable to prevent leakage of body fluid.It has been observed that fluid leakage results from several importantfactors. One factor is that the tampon does not properly fit theintroital region of the vagina. A second factor is that the tampon hasbeen compressed to such an extent that it is unable to open or expandradially rapidly enough after initial insertion into a woman's vagina toabsorb the body fluid which comes into contact with it. A third factoris that the tampon is not shaped correctly to intercept fluid flowthrough the vaginal canal. A fourth factor is that the folds andconvolutions of the vagina are not all in contact with the tampon, andtherefore body fluid is able to bypass the tampon. A fifth factor isthat the tampon does not contain a sufficient amount of absorbentmaterial at its insertion end to be able to absorb and distributecompletely the body fluid that contacts it.

Now a catamenial tampon has been invented which has a generally M-shapedprofile which overcomes these factors and provides a greater amount ofabsorbent material at the insertion end of the tampon for preventingleakage of body fluid after the tampon has been inserted into a woman'svagina.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, this invention relates to a tampon capable of expandinglaterally while in use to reduce significantly leakage of body fluidfrom a woman's vagina, especially during the peak of her menstrualperiod. The tampon includes an absorbent and a liquid-permeable cover.The cover at least partially surrounds the absorbent, and together theyform an elongated softwind having a first end and a second end. Thesoftwind is folded upon itself at three spaced apart locations to forman M-shaped profile. The M-shaped profile then is compressed into anelongated pledget having an insertion end and a trailing end. Theinsertion end contains a greater amount of absorbent than the trailingend and has a cleft formed therein as a result of the folding. Thecleft, together with the resilient characteristics of the absorbentmaterial, facilitates the lateral expansion of the pledget immediatelyupon insertion of the tampon into a woman's vagina. The tampon furtherincludes a withdrawal string which facilitates removal of the tamponfrom a woman's vagina. In one aspect, the first end of the softwindwhich is held and secured adjacent to a second end by the withdrawalstring forms the trailing end and restricts expansion of the trailingend of the tampon.

The method of forming the tampon includes the steps of cuttingindividual absorbent members from an absorbent strip. Each absorbentmember then is shaped to form an elongated absorbent having an outerperiphery. A liquid-permeable cover is secured to the outer periphery ofthe elongated absorbent to form a softwind. The softwind has a first endand a second end. The softwind then is folded on itself such that thefirst and second ends are aligned adjacent to one another and thesoftwind contains two folds there between. The softwind then iscompressed into a pledget, and a withdrawal string is secured thereto toform the tampon. Alternatively, the withdrawal string can be attached tothe softwind before it is compressed. The withdrawal string facilitatesremoval of the tampon from a woman's vagina.

A general object of this invention is to provide a tampon which iscapable of expanding laterally while in use to reduce leakage of bodyfluid.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a catamenialtampon having a generally M-shaped profile which is capable of expandinglaterally while in use to significantly reduce leakage of body fluid.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tampon which can reducethe by-pass leakage of body fluid by expanding asymmetrically to a shapewhich approximates the shape of the vaginal cavity.

A further object of this invention is to provide a laterally expandabletampon which will expand upon insertion into a woman's vagina.

Still further, an object of this invention is to provide a tampon havingan insertion end and a trailing end, with the insertion end containing agreater amount of absorbent material than the trailing end so as toprevent leakage of body fluid.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tampon which iscapable of expanding laterally, and the expansion is initiated by normalmovements of the body organs and muscles surrounding the vagina.

Still further, an object of this invention is to provide a tampon whichis expandable to fit the non-circular cross-sectional profile of awoman's vagina.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent to those skilled in the art in view of the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elongated ribbon of absorbentmaterial which can be cut into individual segments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an individual absorbent segment beingrolled up into a cylindrical profile.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the individual absorbent segment havingbeen rolled up into an elongated cylindrical shape.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the elongated cylindrically shapedabsorbent positioned on a rectangular sheet of cover material.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the absorbent rolled up with the covermaterial to form a "softwind."

FIG. 6 is a side view of the softwind folded to form a generallyM-shaped profile.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the softwind shown in FIG. 6 after it has beencompressed into a pledget.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the pledget showing an aperture formed therethrough and a withdrawal string passing through the aperture and securedto the pledget.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a two piece, arcuately shaped tampon applicatorhaving an inner tube and an outer tube.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tampon applicator shown in FIG.9, rotated 900 and partially broken away to show the orientation of thetampon relative to the curvature of the outer tube prior to insertion ofthe tampon into a woman's vagina.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a two piece tampon applicator having an innertube and an outer tube.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the tampon applicator shown in FIG.11 depicting the tampon being retained in the outer tube prior toinsertion into a woman's vagina.

FIG. 13 is a front sectional view of a portion of the pelvic area of thefemale body taken in a plane through the cervix and introitus andshowing the position of the tampon applicator immediately prior toexpelling the tampon into the vagina.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to that depicted in FIG. 13 showing thelaterally expanded tampon after placement in the vagina and after thetampon applicator has been withdrawn.

FIG. 15 is a vertical, lateral sectional view of the female vagina takenalong line 15--15 of FIG. 14 illustrating how the laterally expandabletampon fills the cross-sectional area of the vagina.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing one configuration of the laterallyexpandable tampon after removal from a woman's vagina.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method of forming a laterally expandabletampon.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of an alternative method of forming alaterally expandable tampon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an elongated absorbent ribbon 10 is shown which canbe cut into a plurality of individual members 12. Each of the individualmembers 12 can be in the form of a rectangle having a length "L", awidth "W" and a thickness "T". Preferably, the length "L" will begreater than the width "W".

The absorbent ribbon 10 can be formed from absorbent fibers which areassembled into a sheet or ribbon. Alternatively, the absorbent fiberscan be assembled and formed into a generally cylindrical configurationif desired. The absorbent ribbon 10 can be formed from cellulosicfibers, such as cotton and rayon. The absorbent fibers can be 100%cotton, 100% rayon, or a blend of cotton and rayon fibers. Some blendswhich have been tried and work well include a blend of about 15% cottonto about 85% rayon; about 70% cotton to about 30% rayon; about 60%cotton to about 40% rayon; about 25% cotton to about 75% rayon; andabout 6% cotton to about 94% rayon. The particular blend of fibers canvary depending upon preference. It is also possible to add polyester orother synthetic fibers to the blend to add resilient features to theabsorbent 10.

When cotton fibers are used, the cotton fibers should have a staplelength of between about 5 millimeters (mm) to about 20 mm. The cottonfibers should generally have a fiber size of between about 150 micronsto about 280 microns. The cotton fibers can also be bleached if desired.Bleaching will make the cotton fibers whiter in appearance.

When rayon fibers are present, the rayon fibers should have a staplelength of between about 20 mm to about 35 mm. The rayon fibers shouldhave a denier of between about 2 to about 6. As defined by the"Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology" available From HoechstCelanese Corporation having a mailing address of P.O. Box 32414,Charlotte, N.C. 28232 on page 42, denier is:

"the unit of fineness of yam based on a standard of 50 milligrams (mg)for 450 meters of yam. This is numerically equal to the weight in gramsof 9,000 meters of the material. Denier is a direct numbering system inwhich the lower numbers represent the finer sizes and the higher numbersthe coarser sizes."

The rayon fibers can have a circular, bi-lobal, a tri-lobalcross-sectional configuration, or some other cross-sectionalconfiguration known to those skilled in the art. The bi-lobalconfiguration has a cross-sectional profile which looks like a dog bonewhile the tri-lobal configuration has a cross-sectional profile whichlooks like a "Y". The rayon fibers can also be bleached if desired.

The absorbent 10, when formed from an absorbent sheet or ribbon, isconstructed from a blend of cotton and rayon fibers. Two processes forforming such an absorbent sheet are known as "carding" and "air laying".Depending upon the desired absorbency one desires in the finishedtampon, the basis weight of the absorbent ribbon can vary. The U.S. Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) has set absorbency standards for "junior","regular", "super", and "super-plus" size tampons. In order to meet theFDA standards for the four sizes, the absorbent sheets 10 are targetedto have basis weights of about 100 grams per square meter (gsm), 120gsm, 170 gsm and 230 gsm, respectively. Typically, the carding processis controlled to produce an absorbent ribbon 10 having a width "W" ofbetween about 40 mm to about 60 mm, preferably about 50 mm. The basisweight and/or the length of the absorbent can also be adjusted to formthe different size tampons.

The length "L" of the individual absorbent member 12 can vary frombetween about 100 mm to about 200 mm. For the "regular" size tampon, alength "L" of between about 140 mm to about 150 mm is sufficient.

In FIG. 1, the individual absorbent members 12 are shown having acentral longitudinal axis X--X which is in the machine direction. Thecentral longitudinal axis X--X will be used as a reference line in someof the following figures in order to describe forming the absorbentribbon 10 into a tampon.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an individual absorbent member 12 is shownwhich is rolled or folded along a central transverse axis Y--Y to form agenerally elongated absorbent 14, see FIG. 3. The elongated absorbent 14can have a cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape, an oval shape, asquare shape, etc. Preferably, the absorbent 14 will have a cylindricalshape with a circular cross-section. The cross-section can have adiameter "D" which is between about 10 mm to about 20 mm. Preferably,the diameter "D" will be between about 12 mm to about 15 mm. The actualdiameter "D" of the elongated absorbent 14 can vary depending uponwhether it is going to be used to make a "junior", "regular", "super" or"super-plus" size tampon. The length of the elongated absorbent 14 willbe approximately equal to the length of the starting individual member12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the elongated absorbent 14 is placed orpositioned on liquid-permeable cover 16. The cover 16 will have a firstmajor surface 18 and can be formed as a rectangular sheet, as shown. Thecover 16 has a length L1 and a width W1 which are sized so that thecover 16 can wrap completely around the outer periphery of the elongatedabsorbent 14. Preferably, the cover 16 will have a length L1 which isequal to or greater than the length L of the elongated absorbent 14 andwill have a width W1 which is greater than the outside periphery of therolled absorbent 14. By so sizing the width W, of he cover 16, the cover16 will be able to wrap completely around the outer exterior surface ofthe absorbent 14 and be overlapped upon itself at 20 (see FIG. 5).

The liquid-permeable cover 16 can be bonded along the entire length ofthe overlap area 20 by using an impulse sealer or some other type ofsealing mechanism. Alternatively, the cover 16 can be spot bonded atspaced apart points along the overlap area 20, if desired. The cover 16can be bonded to either itself and/or to the absorbent 14 using heat,pressure, heat and pressure, ultrasonic, adhesives, glue, or any otherknown bonding technique.

The liquid-permeable cover 16 can be formed from woven or nonwovenmaterial having a porous substrate. Woven material includes textilefabrics which can be made from rayon, cotton, polyolefins or othersynthetic yarns. The synthetics can be either staple or continuousfilaments. The cover 16 can be a 0.6 ounces per square yard ofpolypropylene spunbond. The nonwoven materials can include spunbond,bonded carded webs and hydro entangled webs. Spunbond and bonded cardedwebs are commercially sold by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, having anoffice located at 401 North Lake Street, Neenah, Wis. 54956. Anothernonwoven material which can be used as the cover 16 is formed from 100percent polyester fibers held together by a binder. This material isknown as powder-bonded-carded web (PBCW). PBCW is commercially availablefrom HDK Industries, Inc. having an office at 304 Arcadia Drive,Greenville, S.C. 29609. The cover 16 can further be formed from anapertured thermoplastic film having either a two-dimensional or athree-dimensional thickness. Apertured thermoplastic films are availablefrom several commercial vendors including Pantex Sri, Pantex Sud srl,Via Terracini snc, having an office at 51031 Agliana, Pistoia, Italy andApplied Extrusion Technology having a mailing address of P.O. Box 582,Middleton, Del. 19709.

The liquid-permeable cover 16 can be treated with an aqueous solution toreduce frictional drag, to enhance the tampon's wettability and toenhance the ease of insertion into and withdrawal from a woman's vagina.The cover 16 can be treated either before being rolled up with theabsorbent ribbon 10 or after the cover 16 has been positioned about theexterior surface of the elongated absorbent 14. The different types ofaqueous solutions which can be used are known to those skilled in theart. One particular type of aqueous solution is taught in U.S. Ser. No.08/311,692, filed Sep. 23, 1994 and entitled "TAMPON EXHIBITING LOWFRICTIONAL DRAG." This patent application is assigned to Kimberly-ClarkCorporation and is incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the absorbent ribbon 10 and theliquid-permeable cover 16 are rolled into a generally cylindrical-shapeknown as a "softwind" 22. The softwind 22 has a central longitudinalaxis X--X and is an elongated member. The softwind 22 can have a shapedifferent from the cylindrical shape if desired. The softwind 22 has afirst end 24 and a second end 26. The ends 24 and 26 are spaced apartfrom one another. The softwind 22 can have a length L2 of up to about 10inches (about 254 mm). Preferably, the softwind 22 has a length L2 offrom between about 2 inches to about 8 inches (about 50 mm to about 203mm), and most preferably, it has a length of about 6 inches (about 152mm). When the softwind 22 has a circular cross-sectional configuration,it can have a diameter D2 ranging from between about 0.5 inches (about13 mm) to about 2 inches (about 50 mm), and preferably, will have adiameter D2 of about 1 inch (about 25.4 mm). The specific diameter D2 ofthe softwind 22 will be dictated by the type of tampon which is to beformed, such as a "junior", "regular", "super", or "super-plus" size.The softwind 22 is generally not compressed and if compressed, is notcompressed a substantial amount.

Referring to FIG. 6, the softwind 22 is folded or bent upon itself suchthat the first and second ends, 24 and 26, respectively, are alignedadjacent to one another, and the softwind 22 contains three folds 28, 30and 32 located between the ends 24 and 26. The three folds 28, 30 and 32will form the softwind 22 into a generally M-shaped profile 48 with thefirst and second ends, 24 and 26, respectively, forming the base of theM-shaped profile 48. In this M-shaped profile 48, the softwind 22 isfolded at 28 to form a first portion 34 and is folded at 30 to form asecond portion 36 and a third portion 38. The first, second, and thirdportions, 34, 36, and 38, respectively, can have approximately the samelength. For example, if the softwind 22 has a length of about 6 inches(about 150 mm), each of the first, second, and third portions 34, 36,and 38, respectively, can have a length of approximately two inches(about 50 mm). Alternatively, the first and third portions, 34 and 38,respectively, can have approximately the same length and the secondportion 36 can be smaller or larger than either of the other twoportions, 34 and 38, respectively. For example, if the softwind 22 has alength of about 6 inches (about 150 mm), the first and third portions,34 and 38, respectively, can have a length of about 1.5 inches (about 37mm), and the second portion 36 can have a length of about 3 inches(about 75 mm).

The softwind 22 is split along the vertically oriented Y--Y axis. Thethird fold 32 gives the softwind 22 the generally M-shaped profile 48and also creates a cleft 40 which is spaced an equal distance between afirst lobe 42 and a second lobe 44. The first and second lobes, 42 and44, respectively, are created by the folds 28 and 30. The cleft 40 has abottom surface or trough 46 which is aligned along the Y--Y axis. Thedepth of the cleft 40 has a dimension L3 while the M-shaped profile 48has an overall length L4. The length L4 is the vertical dimension of theM-shaped profile 48 measured along the Y--Y axis, between the tip of oneof the lobes 42 or 44 and a line drawn through the base formed by thefirst and second ends 24 and 26. The length L3 of the cleft 40represents from between about 5% to about 80% of the length L4,preferably, at least about 10% of the length of L4, and most preferably,from between about 15% to about 50% of the length of L4. It has beenfound that by forming the cleft 40 to a depth L3, which falls betweenabout 5% to about 80% of the total of the length L4 of the M-shapedprofile 48, that a tampon 62 can be formed which will span across thewidth of a woman's vaginal cavity.

Referring to FIG. 7, a pledget 50 is shown which is formed bycompressing the M-shaped profile 48 to a density of between about 0.1grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc) to about 0.5 g/cc. Preferably, theM-shaped profile 48 is compressed to a density of from between about0.15 g/cc to about 0.35 g/cc, and most preferably, to a density of about0.25 g/cc. The M-shaped profile 48 is also heated from between about200° F. to about 300° F. (about 93.3° C. to about 148.9° C.) for a timeperiod of from between about 15 seconds to about 60 seconds. Preferably,the heat set occurs at about 240° F. (about 115.6° C.), and the timeperiod is about 45 seconds.

The pledget 50 has an insertion end 52 and an opposite trailing end 54.The insertion end 52 will contain more absorbent material 10 than thetrailing end 54 because of the folded configuration 28, 30 and 32 whichoccurs at the insertion end 52. However, when the pledget 50 iscompressed into a generally cylindrical-shape, it will have anessentially constant exterior periphery and therefore the diameter ofthe insertion end 52 will be approximately equal to the diameter of thetrailing end 54. The cleft 40 which is present at the insertion end 52of the pledget 50 will be visibly present as a crease since the firstand second lobes 42 and 44 will be brought into contact with one anotherwhen the pledget 50 is compressed.

Referring to FIG. 8, the compressed pledget 50 is then pierced by asharp instrument to form an aperture 56. The aperture 56 should beformed in the trailing end 54 of the pledget 50 and should be situatedclose to the first and second ends, 24 and 26, respectively. Theaperture 56 will pass through both the absorbent ribbon 10 and the cover16. The aperture 56 can be formed by a sharp needle or awl once thepledget has been oriented relative to a carrier or jig such that theaperture 56 can be aligned perpendicular to the cleft 40. The importanceof this orientation will be described in detail.

A withdrawal string 58 is passed through the aperture 56 and looped uponitself so as to form a secure attachment to the pledget 50. The freeends of the withdrawal string 58 are tied into a knot 60 to assure thatthe withdrawal string 58 will not separate from the pledget 50. Itshould be noted that the withdrawal string 58 will serve to hold thefirst and second ends 24 and 26 of the pledget 50 in direct contact withone another.

The withdrawal string 58 will also prevent the first and second ends 24and 26 from expanding outward to any significant extent and certainly toa much lesser degree than is possible at the insertion end 52 of thepledget 50. When the withdrawal string 58 is attached and secured to thepledget 50, a tampon 62 is formed.

The withdrawal string 58 can be constructed from various types ofthreads or ribbons. A thread or ribbon made from 100% cotton fibersworks well. The withdrawal string 58 should have a length which extendsbeyond the trailing end 54 of the pledget 50 of from between about 2inches to about 8 inches (about 50.8 mm to about 203.2 mm), preferably,from between about 4 inches to about 6 inches (about 102 mm to about152.4 mm), and most preferably, about 5 inches (about 127 mm). Thewithdrawal string 58 can be dyed and/or treated with an anti-wickingagent, such as wax, before being secured to the pledget 50. The use ofan anti-wicking agent will prevent any body fluids, such as menses orblood, from wicking along the withdrawal string 58 and contacting theinner surface of a woman's undergarment. A dry, clean withdrawal string58 is preferred by the user, especially when she goes to remove thetampon 62 from her vagina.

Returning to FIG. 8, it should be noted that the insertion end 52 of thetampon 62 contains at least 1.25 times the amount of absorbent material10 as does the trailing end 54. Preferably, the insertion end 52 willcontain at least twice the amount of absorbent material 10 as thetrailing end 54. This larger amount of absorbent material 10 at theinsertion end 52 will cause the tampon 62 to asymmetrically expandduring use such that the insertion end 52 will occupy a much larger areathan the trailing end 54. It is important to note that the trailing end54 will be prevented from significantly expanding by the attachment ofthe withdrawal string 58. This is important because the trailing end 54will be the leading end upon removal of the tampon 62 from a woman'svagina. Because of this, it is advantageous to restrict the amount thatthe trailing end 54 can expand so as to make the withdrawal of thetampon 62 more comfortable to the user.

The M-shaped profile 48 allows the insertion end 52 to expand to agreater width dimension than thickness dimension. In this case, thewidth is shown as the distance between the first lobe 42 and the secondlobe 44 while the thickness dimension goes into the paper, perpendicularto the vertical axis Y--Y. The reason for this is that the cross-sectionof a woman's vagina is not circular but instead is more rectangular in arelaxed state. More information on the geometry of a woman's vagina willbe discussed below with reference to FIGS. 13-15.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a tampon applicator 64 is shown havingan arcuate or curved profile. The tampon applicator 64 includes an outertube 66 and an inner tube 68. Preferably, both the outer tube 66 and theinner tube 68 are arcuate members formed on a radius, and therefore eachhas an arcuate shape. It should be noted that the outer tube 66 has aradius "r" and the inner tube 68 has a radius "r1", and the radius "r"can be equal to or different from the radius "r1".

Both of the tubes 66 and 68 are hollow and each can be formed fromsimilar or different materials. The materials can include paper,paperboard, cardboard, plastic, thermoplastic film, a combinationthereof or any other type of suitable material. Preferably, both theouter tube 66 and the inner tube 68 are formed from the same material.The most common materials are paper, paperboard, cardboard and plastic.When paper or paperboard is used, it can be present as a single layer oras two or more layers. When two or more layers are used, they can bebonded together by an adhesive or glue to form a laminate structure. Theoutside surface of the outer tube 66 can also be coated with a wax orwater-insoluble polymer to render it water-resistant.

Suitable plastic materials include polyolefins such as low densitypolyethylene and polypropylene. The outer tube 66 should have sufficientstrength and rigidity to prevent collapsing under normal vaginalpressures. The outer tube 66 can be formed into a cylindrical shapehaving a longitudinal seam or be spirally or convolutely wound. Theouter tube 66 has a relatively small diameter of from between about 10mm to about 20 mm. The particular diameter of the outer tube 66 willdepend upon the size of the tampon which is to be held therein. Forexample, a "junior" or "regular" size tampon will require a smallerdiameter tube than would a "super" or a "super-plus" size tampon.

The inner tube 68 is slightly smaller in diameter than the outer tube 66and is designed to telescopically slide within the inner diameter of theouter tube 66. Preferably, the inner tube 68 is made from the samematerial as the outer tube 66. It should be noted that the curved tamponapplicator 64 could be constructed according to the teachings of Paul etal., U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,535 assigned to Kimberly-Clark corporation.This patent is incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

The tampon applicator 64 also contains an insertion tip 70 which isformed on one end of the outer tube 66 and contains a plurality of softand flexible petals 72. The petals 72 can be arranged to form adome-shaped nose. The petals 72 are separated by narrow slots 74. Theslots 74 allow each petal 72 to radially flex or bend outward so as toprovide an enlarged opening through which the tampon 62 can exit when itis pushed forward by the inner tube 68. Either an even or an odd numberof petals 72 can be used, but preferably, there are an odd number ofpetals 72, such as 3, 5, 7, etc. By using an odd number of petals 72,one can prevent the outer tube 66 from collapsing or flattening afterthe tampon 62 has been expelled. Most preferably, the tampon applicator64 will contain five petals 72. By preventing the outer tube 66 fromcollapsing, one can be assured that the vaginal tissue will not bepinched when the tampon applicator 64 is inserted or removed from theuser's vagina. For optimum performance, all of the petals 72 should haveapproximately the same shape and dimension. Each of the petals 72 canhave an elongated, approximately truncated shape, with a rounded end,and each can have a length of about 7/16 of an inch (about 11.1 mm). Theapplicator 64 can also contain a fingergrip 76 formed on the oppositeend of the outer tube 66. The fingergrip 76 can contain one or moreridges 78 which will prevent the user's fingers from slipping as sheholds the tampon applicator 64. The fingergrip 76 can also containflattened surfaces such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,535, issued toPaul et al. The flattened surfaces are aligned perpendicular to theradius of curvature of the tampon applicator 64 such that it facilitatesorientation of the applicator 64 into a woman's vagina.

It should also be noted that the tampon 62 will be oriented within thearcuately-shaped tampon applicator 64 such that the cleft 40 is alignedparallel with the radius Ur. of the outer tube 66. That is, the cleft 40is aligned perpendicular to the arcuately shaped centerline A--A shownFIG. 9. Another way of stating this is to say that in FIG. 10, the cleft40 is aligned parallel to the arcuately-shaped centerline A--A sinceFIG. 10 is rotated 90° relative to FIG. 9. This alignment is important,for it will assure that the tampon 62 is correctly oriented within awoman's vagina after it is expelled from the tampon applicator 64.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a straight tampon applicator 80 isshown which is comprised of a hollow outer tube 82 and a hollow innertube 84. The outer tube 82 is designed to house a tampon 62 while theinner tube 84 is telescopically slidable within the inner periphery ofthe outer tube 82 so as to expel the tampon 62 therefrom. The outer tube82 has an insertion tip 86 which contains a plurality of petals 88formed thereon. The petals 88 are separated by narrow slits or slots 89.The petals 88 and slots 89 serve the same function as the petals 72 andthe slots 74 explained above in reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Thestraight tampon applicator 80 also contains a fingergrip 90 in the formof a flange integrally formed on the opposite end of the outer tube 82.Since the straight tampon applicator 80 does not contain a curvaturewith which it can be oriented relative to a woman's vagina, it shouldcontain some type of indicator 92 so as to aid the user in correctlyorienting the tampon 62 relative to her vagina. The indicator 92 can bean arrow, a longitudinal line or some other type of marking which ispainted, printed, embossed, applied or formed on the outer surface ofthe outer tube 82. For example, in FIG. 11, the indicator 92 is shown asan elongated arrow positioned adjacent to the insertion end 86. Thetampon 62 should be inserted into the applicator 80 and oriented suchthat the cleft 40 is aligned parallel to the indicator 92.

It should also be noted that the inner tube 84 has a trailing end 94which is spaced away from the fingergrip ring 90 when a tampon 62 ishoused in the outer tube 82. As the inner tube 84 is pushed into theouter tube 82 to expel the tampon 62 therefrom, the trailing end 94 ofthe inner tube 84 will approach the fingergrip ring 90.

Referring to FIGS. 13-15, the insertion and positioning of the tampon 62within a woman's vagina will be described. In FIG. 13, the straighttampon applicator 80 housing the tampon 62 is held by the user betweenher thumb and middle fingers. The thumb and middle fingers will contactthe outer tube 82 just ahead of the fingergrip flange 90 while her indexfinger will rest on the trailing end 94 of the inner tube 84. The outertube 82 is inserted through the introitus, until the insertion tip 86 isapproximately in the lower end of the vagina. As the tampon applicator80 is inserted, the indicator 92 should be aligned so that it is facingand parallel to the woman's belly button.

When the outer tube 82 has been positioned such that the insertion tip86 is adjacent to the lower end of the vagina, the user will push theinner tube 84 into the outer tube 82 with her index finger. As thisoccurs, the petals 88 will expand radially outward and allow the tampon62 to be expelled into the vaginal cavity.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the orientation of the tampon 62 withinthe vaginal cavity is depicted. In FIG. 14, the tampon 62 is shownexpanded laterally so that it occupies the opening of the vagina. InFIG. 15, the tampon 62 is shown having a width W2 and a thickness T2.The width W2 is greater than the thickness T2. Because of the uniqueshape of the vaginal cavity, in order to effectively prevent the leakageof body fluid from the vagina, a tampon must have a width W2 tothickness T2 ratio of greater than 1. Preferably, the width W2 tothickness T2 ratio is about 2:1.

The tampon 62 laterally expands to an open position, as that shown inFIG. 14, after being inserted into the vagina. The catamenial tampon ofthe present invention has been found to provide a generally M-shapedprofile which provides a greater amount of absorbent material at theinsertion end of the tampon for preventing leakage of body fluidimmediately after the tampon has been inserted into a woman's vagina.

The ability of the tampon 62 to expand to occupy the vagina cavityresults from a number of phenomena, one being the natural resiliency ofthe compacted fibers within the tampon 62. A second factor is the folds28, 30 and 32 which provide the absorbent 10 with a natural tendency torerum to their non-compressed M-shaped profile 48. A third phenomenon isthat the cover 16 which is folded along the absorbent 10 is alignedadjacent to itself in the area of the cleft 40. Since the cover 16 doesnot want to bond or adhere to itself, it has a natural tendency ofspreading the absorbent 10 apart once the forces retaining the pledget50 in a generally cylindrical shape are removed. In other words, oncethe pledget 50 is expelled from the outer tube 82, the absorbent 10 andcover 16 are free to expand outward to the M-shaped profile 48. Theexpansion of the second portion 36 of the tampon 62 allows a bridge tobe formed across the vaginal cavity immediately below the cervix. Thisbridging effect causes the lobes 42 and 44 to move laterally outward andcontact the inner walls of the vagina. This action essentially blocksthe vaginal cavity and prevents the leakage of body fluid out of thevagina. While this is occurring, the trailing end 54 of the pledget 50will stay together and expand to a much less extent in the width andthickness direction. This gives the tampon 62 an expanded configurationwhich best approximates the profile of the vagina, as shown in FIG. 13.Tables One and Two present results of simulated use testing on tamponsmade according to the present invention, and several commerciallyavailable tampons. Table One shows that tampons made according to thepresent invention will expand to a wider width dimension than tamponscommercially available. Table Two shows that tampons made according tothe present invention also exhibit greater width expansion calculated asa percentage increase over the pre-use dimension.

Briefly, the simulated use testing was conducted as follows: Aftermeasuring each tampons initial maximum width (designated as Drydimension in Table One), they were placed into a flexible tube containedwithin a hydraulic pressure chamber similar to that used for F.D.A.tampon absorbency testing. Pressure was increased to 0.26 PSI, and tenmilliliters of 0.9% saline fluid were applied to the tip of the tampon.One minute after the onset of leakage, tampons were removed from thechamber and again measured to determine their widest dimension(designated as Wet dimension in Table One). The test was repeated usingfive tampons of each type. The percentage increase shown in Table Twowas calculated as follows: ##EQU1##

                                      TABLE ONE                                   __________________________________________________________________________    Width Expansion                                                               Wet vs. Dry, regular tampons                                                  __________________________________________________________________________    __________________________________________________________________________

                  TABLE TWO                                                       ______________________________________                                        % Width Increase                                                              Wet vs. Dry, regular tampons                                                  ______________________________________                                         ##STR1##                                                                     ______________________________________                                         A = Mshaped tampon protype of this invention, regular absorbency              B = KOTEX ® SECURITY tampons, regular absorbency                          C = Platex Ultimates, Unscented tampons, regular absorbency                   D = Platex Gentle Glide Applicator tampons, nondeodorant, regular             absorbency                                                                    E = KOTEX ® Curved tampons, regular absorbency                            F = Tampax Plastic Applicator tampons, regular absorbency                

In the expanded condition, the fold 32 may still be present such thatthe second portion 36 will be slightly less than horizontal. Thisarrangement means that the second portion will not be perpendicularlyaligned to the introitus. The trough 46 of the cleft 40 will not rise upto the point where it is horizontally even with the lobes 42 and 44.This is important because it will facilitate withdrawal of the tampon 62from the vaginal cavity.

Referring to FIG. 16, the general shape of the tampon 62 is shown as itis ready to be removed from the vaginal cavity. One will notice that thegeneral M-shaped profile 48 is still present. As the trailing end 54 ismoved downward into the introital region and out of the vagina, theintroital region will expand. As one continues to withdraw the tampon62, the lobes 42 and 44 will move closer together because of thepresence of the third fold 32. The inner walls of the introital regionwill cause the lobes 42 and 44 to be pressed together as they exit theintroital region. This particular M-shaped profile 48 permits for aneasy and comfortable withdrawal of the tampon 62 from a woman's vagina.

METHOD

The method of forming the catamenial tampon 62 will now be explainedwith reference to the structure shown in FIGS. 1-12 and to the flowdiagrams shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. The method includes cutting anindividual absorbent member 12 from an absorbent strip 10. Eachabsorbent member 12 has a central longitudinal axis X--X and a centraltransverse axis Y--Y. The absorbent member 12 is then shaped to form anelongated absorbent 14 having an outer periphery 15. The absorbentmember 12 can be shaped such as by rolling along the central transverseaxis Y--Y or by folding the absorbent member 12 on its side or by acombination of folding and/or rolling the absorbent member 12 such as toform the elongated absorbent 14. A liquid permeable cover 16 is thensecured to the outer periphery 15 of the elongated absorbent 14 to forma softwind 22. One specific example of securing the cover 16 to theelongated absorbent 14 is to place the elongated absorbent 14 on theliquid permeable cover 16 and then roll both the absorbent 14 and thecover 16 together to form the softwind 22. A depiction of thisparticular example is shown in FIG. 4.

The softwind 22 has a first end 24 and a second end 26. The two ends, 24and 26, respectively, are spaced apart to a distance equal to the lengthL2 of the softwind 22 when the softwind 22 is in a non-folded condition.The softwind 22 is then folded on itself such that the first and secondends, 24 and 26, respectively, are aligned adjacent to one another. Thesoftwind 22 should be folded such that it contains two folds 28 and 30,and preferably, three folds 28, 30 and 32. By folding the softwind 22upon itself at least at folds, 28 and 30, respectively, a first portion34, a second portion 36, and a third portion 38 are formed. The first,second, and third portions, 34, 36, and 38, respectively, can all be ofthe same length. Alternatively, the second portion 36 which bridgesbetween the first portion 34 and the third portion 38 can be shorter inlength than the first portion 34 and/or shorter in length than the thirdportion 38. Because the first and third portions, 34 and 38,respectively, establish the overall length of the pledget 50 which willbe formed by shaping the softwind 22, it is advantageous to make both ofthem of the same length. When the softwind 22 is folded at least twotimes, the first and second ends, 24 and 26 respectively, will bealigned adjacent to one another so that they abut and end in a singleplane. In other words, the outer surface of the first and second ends,24 and 26, respectively, will be flush with one another. By folding thesoftwind 22 at least twice, and preferably three times, the softwind 22will acquire a generally M-shaped profile 48. This M-shaped profile 48is more pronounced when three folds 28, 30, and 32 are present.Referring to FIG. 6, one will notice that the first portion 34 isapproximately equal in length to the third portion 38, and that thesecond portion 36, in an extended position, will approximately equal thelength of the first portion 34. When starting with a softwind 22 havinga length of approximately 6 inches, it is advantageous to fold thesoftwind 22 at two locations 28 and 30. The two folds 28 and 30 arelocated between the first and second ends, 24 and 26, respectively, suchthat the second portion 36 will have a length of at least about 2inches. When one starts with a softwind 22 greater than 6 inches, it isstill advantageous to make the second portion 36 with a length of atleast about 2 inches and to make the first and third portions, 34 and38, respectively, of a slightly longer length.

As mentioned above, by folding the softwind 22 at three locations, 28,30, and 32, respectively, all of which are located between the first andsecond ends, 24 and 26, respectively, the generally M-shaped profile 48is readily obtained. In the M-shaped profile 48, a cleft 40 isestablished having a length or depth L3. The length L3 is the verticaldistance measured from a horizontal line passing through the tips of thelobes 42 and 44 and a horizontal line passing tangentially through thebottom surface of the trough 46. This length L3 will represent about 5percent to about 80 percent of the length L4 of the M-shaped profile 48.

The method further includes compressing the softwind 22, which has beenfolded into the M-shaped profile 48, into a pledget 50 having aninsertion end 52 and a trailing end 54. One will notice that theinsertion end 52 contains more absorbent than the trailing end 54. Thisoccurs because of the folding of the softwind 22 such that additionalabsorbent material is present at the insertion end 52. After the pledget50 has been formed, a withdrawal string 58 can be secured to the pledget50 to form a tampon 62. In order to secure the withdrawal string 58 tothe pledget 50, an aperture 56 is formed through the pledget 50approximate the location of the trailing end 54. The trailing end 54 isestablished by the alignment of the first and second ends, 24 and 26,respectively. The withdrawal string 58 then is passed through theaperture 56 and looped upon itself. The two free ends are joined by aknot 60 to keep them together. The withdrawal string 58 will facilitateremoval of the tampon 62 from a woman's vagina after it has accomplishedits intended purpose, that is, after the tampon 62 has absorbedmenstrual fluid, blood, and other body fluids normally discharged by awoman's vagina.

After the tampon 62 is formed, it can be positioned in a tamponapplicator 64 or 80. The tampon applicator can be an arcuately-shapedapplicator 64, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, or it can be a straightapplicator 80, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. When the tampon 62 ispositioned into the outer tube 66 of an arcuately-shaped tamponapplicator 64, the cleft 40 has to be aligned parallel to the radiuswhich forms the arcuately-shaped outer tube 66. This will assure thatthe tampon 62 is properly positioned within a woman's vagina after beingexpelled from the applicator 64. Likewise, when the tampon 62 is to bepositioned in the outer tube 82 of a straight tampon applicator 80, thecleft 40 should be aligned parallel to the indicator 92. This willassure that the tampon 62 is properly positioned within a woman's vaginaafter being expelled from the applicator 80. An alternative method isdepicted in the flow diagram of FIG. 18. In the alternative method, oncethe generally M-shaped profile 48 is formed, the withdrawal string 58 issecured to the softwind 22 approximate the location of the first andsecond ends, 24 and 26, respectively. After the withdrawal string 58 hasbeen secured to the M-shaped profile 48, the softwind 22 is compressedinto a tampon 62. The advantages of this alternative method versus thefirst method is that it may be easier to form the aperture 56 throughthe softwind 22 than through the compressed pledget 50. It should benoted that after the withdrawal string 58 is passed through the aperture56, it is looped upon itself so that a secure attachment is obtained tothe softwind 22 or to the pledget 50. The presence of the withdrawalstring 58 securely attached to the trailing end 54 of the pledget 50serves a very vital function. That is, the withdrawal string 58 willprevent the trailing end 54 of the pledget 50 from expanding to the sameextent or degree as the insertion end 54 while in use. This is importantbecause by restricting the amount the trailing end 54 can expand, onecan facilitate a comfortable removal of the tampon 62 from the usersbody. A comfortable removal of the tampon 62 is a required criteria forany type of tampon.

Lastly, the M-shaped profile 48 of the tampon 62 enables the insertionend 54 to contain more absorbent material than the trailing end 54. Thisadditional absorbent material at the insertion end 52 is advantageous inintercepting fluid flow and preventing premature leakage of body fluidpast the tampon 62. The M-shaped profile 48 also has the ability toexpand to occupy the entire cross-sectional opening of the woman'svagina during use, and therefore is capable of preventing body fluidfrom leaking past the tampon 62.

The present invention provides a tampon having a softwind folded onitself such that a first end and a second end are aligned adjacent toone another and are held securely together. The first end is held indirect contact to the second end to form the trailing end of thepledget. This feature is shown in FIGS. 8 and 16 of the drawings.

The tampon of the present invention provides an elongated softwindhaving the first end positioned adjacent to the second end and means forsecuring the first end to the second end to restrict expansion of thetrailing end of the pledget. This feature is shown in FIGS. 8 and 16 ofthe drawings. The first end is held in direct contact to the second endto form the trailing end of the pledget.

The tampon of the present invention includes a cleft aligned to becapable of parallel alignment to an arcuately shaped centerline of atampon applicator having an arcuately shaped outer tube and an arcuatelyshaped inner tube, the inner tube capable of telescopically sliding inthe outer tube, the outer tube having the arcuately shaped centerline.This feature is shown in FIGS. 9-10 of the drawings.

Conventional tampons available commercially today typically have awithdrawal string attached to only one end of a tampon strip material,the withdrawal string not being used to tie the two adjacent endstogether.

The tampon of the present invention includes a tampon having a softwindfolded on itself such that the first and second ends are alignedadjacent to one another and are held securely together to preventexpansion. The tampon of the present invention is importantly differentfrom conventional tampons in providing for the operation of the tamponof the present invention such that a withdrawal string 58 holds thefirst and second ends 24 and 26 of the pledget 50 in direct contact withone another. The withdrawal string 58 prevents the first and second ends24 and 26 from expanding outward. The trailing end 54 thereby isprevented from expanding by the attachment of the withdrawal string 58.This important difference of the tampon of the present invention causesthe tampon 62 to expand asymmetrically during use such that theinsertion end 52 will occupy a much larger area than the trailing end 54and thereby provide significantly more absorption in the specificconfiguration of a woman's vagina.

The differences between the tampon of the present invention andconventional tampons prevent the trailing end 54 from expanding by theattachment of the withdrawal string 58 thereby to provide that thetrailing end 54 will be the leading end upon removal of the tampon 62from a woman's vagina. Because of this important difference (i.e.,restricting the amount that the first and second ends 24 and 26 canexpand and forming of the trailing end 54), not only does one obtainsignificantly more absorption in the specific configuration of a woman'svagina, but also the withdrawal of the tampon 62 from the woman's vaginais more comfortable to the user.

The tampon of the present invention provides both an absorbent and acover over the absorbent. The combination absorbent and cover iscritically important to promote the segments of the tampon to separate.If the cover is not in place as specified in the tampon of the presentinvention, any deformation or crushing of the M-fold fibers of theabsorbent would interlock the absorbent to stick together.

The tampon of the present invention provides a withdrawal means attachedto both the absorbent and the cover. The attachment of the cover to theabsorbent in the specific configuration of the tampon of the presentinvention enhances and increases the stored energy available in thetampon of the present invention to make it pop open. The stored energyis similar to the case where a pant leg is stretched over a bended knee.The tension on the pant leg is increased when the knee is bent, and thepant leg then raises up. If the pant leg were to be tied to the ankle,the tension on the pant leg would increase and make it very tight as theknee is bent. Similarly, the cover locked in place over the absorbent ofthe peaks and valleys of the M-shape peaks and cleft of the tampon ofthe present invention makes it more under tension and facilitatesspringing open of the tampon during use in a woman's vagina.

The tampon of the present invention includes a softwind folded on itselfsuch that the first and second ends are aligned adjacent to one anotherand are held securely together to prevent expansion, in combination withthe withdrawal means attached to both the absorbent and to the cover.The folded pledget has an M-shaped configuration such that the first end24 and the second end 26 are secured together to prevent them fromexpanding outward. This important difference over conventional tamponsallows the insertion end 52 of the pledget to expand laterally to agreater extent than the trailing end 54.

The tampon of the present invention includes folding the softwind onitself into first, second, and third portions to form an M-shapedprofile.

The tampon of the present invention includes a cylindrically shapedpledget having a substantially constant exterior periphery, and aninsertion end containing more absorbent material than the trailing end.The importance of a cylindrically shaped pledget is to provide asubstantially constant exterior periphery.

The tampon of the present invention includes folding the softwind onitself into first, second, and third portions to form an M-shapedprofile having a cleft.

The tampon of the present invention includes a withdrawal stringattaching to the trailing end of the pledget and passing through anaperture formed through both the absorbent and the cover therebysecuring the first end in direct contact to the second end to form thetrailing end of the pledget to restrict expansion of the trailing end ofthe pledget. This important difference over conventional tampons allowsthe insertion end 52 of the pledget to expand laterally to a greaterextent than the trailing end 54.

The tampon of the present invention provides a tampon folded or bentupon itself such that the first and second ends are aligned adjacent toone another. The tampon contains three folds located between the firstand second ends. The three folds of the invention configure the tamponinto a generally M-shaped profile with the first and second ends formingthe base of the M-shaped profile.

The middle fold of the invention gives the tampon the generally M-shapedprofile and creates a cleft between a first lobe and second lobe createdby the folds. It has been found that the cleft of the M-shaped profilecan be formed to provide a tampon which will span across the width of awoman's vaginal cavity.

In the tampon of the present invention, the first and second ends areheld together by compressing the two ends adjacent to one another andthreading the withdrawal string through the absorbent material and coverso that the two ends can not move apart from one another.

Because of the M-shaped profile of the tampon of the present invention,the insertion end will contain more absorbent material than the trailingend. However, when the pledget is compressed into a generallycylindrical shape, it will have an essentially constant exteriorperiphery and therefore the diameter of the insertion end will beapproximately equal to the diameter of the trailing end. The secondportion cleft which is present at the insertion end of the pledget willbe visibly present as a crease since the first and second lobes will bebrought into contact with one another when the softwind is compressedinto the pledget. Accordingly, the insertion end contains a greateramount of absorbent material than the trailing end. The insertion endcan contain up to twice or more the amount of absorbent material as thetrailing end. This larger amount of absorbent material at the insertionend will cause the tampon to expand asymmetrically during use such thatthe insertion end will occupy a much larger area than the trailing end.

In the tampon of the present invention, the M-shaped profile allows theinsertion end to expand to a greater width dimension than thicknessdimension. The cross-section of a woman's vagina is not circular butinstead is more rectangular in a relaxed state. When the pledget isplaced in use, the absorbent of the tampon expands outward to thegenerally M-shaped profile. The expansion of the second portion cleft ofthe tampon allows a bridge to be formed across the vaginal cavityimmediately below the cervix. This bridging effect causes the lobes ofthe M-shaped profile to move laterally outward and contact the innerwalls of the vagina. This action essentially blocks the vaginal cavityand prevents the leakage of body fluid out of the vagina. This gives thetampon an expanded configuration which best approximates the profile ofthe vagina. While this is occurring, the trailing end of the pledgetbecomes cooperatively functional as it holds the first end and thesecond end together and as it is restricted in expansion to a much lessextent in the width direction. This restriction of the trailing end toappreciably expand is the result of the adjacent ends of the trailingend being fastened together.

The M-shaped profile of the tampon of the present invention becomescooperatively functional during tampon withdrawal as a downward pressureis exerted on the withdrawal string. As the withdrawal string is pulleddownward, the trailing end of the pledget is pulled out of the vagina.The inner walls of the introital region will cause the lobes of theM-shaped configuration be pressed together as they exit the introitalregion. This M-shaped profile of the tampon of the present inventionprovides an easy and comfortable withdrawal of the tampon from a woman'svagina.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with severalspecific embodiments, it is to be understood that many alternatives,modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this inventionis intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications andvariations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim:
 1. A tampon comprising:a) an absorbent; b) a liquid-permeablecover at least partially surrounding said absorbent, said absorbent andsaid cover forming an elongated softwind having a first end and a secondend, said softwind being folded upon itself at three spaced apartlocations to position said first end adjacent said second end and toform an M-shaped profile, said softwind being compressed into acylindrically shaped pledget having an insertion end and a trailing endwith said insertion end containing a greater amount of absorbent thansaid trailing end; c) withdrawal means for removing said tampon from awoman's vagina, said withdrawal means being attached to both saidabsorbent and to said cover; and d) means for securing said first end tosaid second end to restrict expansion of said trailing end of saidpledget.
 2. The tampon of claim 1 wherein said first and second endsform said trailing end.
 3. The tampon of claim 1 wherein said cover isbonded to said absorbent.
 4. The tampon of claim 1 wherein said M-shapedprofile causes said tampon to laterally expand upon insertion into awoman's vagina to a greater width than thickness.
 5. The tampon of claim4 wherein said pledget will asymmetrically expand during use such thatsaid insertion end is larger than said trailing end.
 6. The tampon ofclaim 1 wherein said withdrawal means is a withdrawal string secured tosaid trailing end of said pledget.
 7. The tampon of claim 6 wherein saidwithdrawal string holds said first end in direct contact to said secondend to form said trailing end of said pledget.
 8. The tampon of claim 1wherein said insertion end contains at least 1.25 times the absorbent ofsaid trailing end.
 9. The tampon of claim 1 wherein said insertion endcontains at least twice the amount of absorbent as said trailing end.10. A tampon comprising:a) an absorbent having a generally circularcross-sectional configuration; b) a liquid-permeable covercircumferentially surrounding said absorbent to form an elongatedsoftwind having a first end and a second end, said softwind being foldedupon itself at three spaced apart locations to form an M-shaped profile,said softwind being compressed into a cylindrically shaped pledgethaving an insertion end and a trailing end with said insertion endcontaining a greater amount of absorbent than said trailing end, saidinsertion end having a cleft formed therein; c) withdrawal means forremoving said tampon from a woman's vagina, said withdrawal means beingattached to said trailing end of said pledget and passing through bothsaid absorbent and said cover; and d) means for securing said first endto said second end to restrict expansion of said trailing end of saidpledget.
 11. The tampon of claim 10 wherein said cover is bonded to saidabsorbent.
 12. The tampon of claim 11 wherein said cover is overlappedand bonded to itself.
 13. The tampon of claim 10 wherein said cleft hasa depth which is equal to between about 5 percent to about 40 percent ofthe length of said pledget.
 14. The tampon of claim 10 wherein saidcleft has a depth which is equal to between about 15 percent to about 40percent of the length of said pledget.
 15. A tampon comprising:a) anabsorbent having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration; b)a liquid-permeable cover circumferentially surrounding said absorbent toform an elongated softwind having a first end and a second end, saidsoftwind being folded upon itself at three spaced apart locations toform an M-shaped profile, said softwind being compressed into acylindrically shaped pledget having an insertion end and a trailing endwith said insertion end containing a greater amount of absorbent thansaid trailing end, said insertion end having a cleft formed thereinwhich is capable of laterally expanding immediately upon insertion intoa woman's vagina; and c) a withdrawal string attached to said trailingend of said pledget and passing through an aperture formed through bothsaid absorbent and said cover and securing said first end in directcontact to said second end to form said trailing end of said pledget torestrict expansion of said trailing end of said pledget.
 16. The tamponof claim 15 wherein said softwind is compressed to a density of betweenabout 0.1 g/cc to about 0.5 g/cc.
 17. The tampon of claim 15 whereinsaid insertion end expands to a greater width than thickness.
 18. Thetampon of claim 15 wherein said insertion end expands to a greater widththan said trailing end.
 19. The tampon of claim 15 wherein said clefthas a depth which is equal to between about 5 percent to about 40percent of the length of said pledget.
 20. A tampon as set forth inclaim 15 wherein said cleft is aligned to be capable of parallelalignment to an arcuately shaped centerline of a tampon applicatorhaving an arcuately shaped outer tube and an arcuately shaped innertube, said inner tube capable of telescopically sliding in said outertube, said outer tube having said arcuately shaped centerline.